Reigning champ Chris Froome crashes at Tour de France; Marcel Kittel wins fourth stage

REIGNING champion Chris Froome has crashed in the Tour de France, as Marcel Kittel wins the fourth stage.

LE TOUQUET-PARIS-PLAGE, FRANCE - JULY 08: Jesus Herrada Lopez (L) of Spain and the Movistar Team and Bauke Mollema (R) of The Netherlands and the Belkin Pro Cycling Team pick themselves up off the road after being in a crash involving Chris Froome of Great Britain and Team Sky just after the start of stage four of the 2014 Le Tour de France from Le Touquet-Paris-Plage to Lille on July 8, 2014 in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

REIGNING champion Chris Froome will continue his Tour de France title defence despite crashing on the fourth stage, his Sky team manager Dave Brailsford said.

The 29-year-old Briton was knocked over early into the 163.5km stage from Le Touquet to Lille after two riders touched in the peloton and one swerved across his path.

He suffered grazes to his elbow and leg down the left side, while he also injured his wrist.

He went for an X-ray after the stage but Brailsford said he would be fine to continue.

“We’ve done the tests and we’re relieved,” said Brailsford. “He will start tomorrow and I hope it will be a great day.

Chris Froome of Team Sky follows the wheels of his teammates Bernhard Eisel and David Lopez Garcia as they chase back to the peloton after Froome’s crash.

“We took precautions, you’re always concerned when you see your leader on the ground but that’s part of sport.

“I think we’ve had quite a few crashes, so it’s normal to be worried but we’re going on.

“Chris is a fighter, he’s not someone who gives up just like that.” Brailsford had earlier described Froome’s injuries as “superficial”.

Back on the race’s home turf after three days in England, the Tour de France pack faces a first possible shake-out on Wednesday over nine patches of bone-rattling cobblestones in northern France.

Many riders were expressing dread that the forecast is for rain, meaning the cobbles will be slick.

In this photo finish image released by ASO Marcel Kittel of Germany, front, crosses the finish line ahead of second place Norway's Alexander Kristoff, top, and third place France's Arnaud Demare, bottom.

KITTEL MAKES IT THREE

Marcel Kittel got his third stage victory in this Tour and the seventh of his Tour career on Tuesday. Unlike his wins in Stages 1 and 3, when he made victory look easy, Kittel eked out victory by a half-wheel length at the end of the ride from Le Touquet-Paris Plage to Lille Metropole.

Kittel, of the Giant-Shimano team, didn’t celebrate this time, but panted. The gesture at the line came from runner-up Alexander Kristoff of Norway, who swatted the air in frustration after being beaten by the barrelling German. French rider Arnaud Demare was third.

After a difficult day of crosswinds, pockets of rain-smattered roads, and jumpy nerves in the peloton, Kittel said: “It’s never easy ... (I was) lucky just enough at the finish line.”

The pack sprints ahead of the finish line at the end of the 163.5km fourth stage.

THE CHAMP CRASHES

Minutes into the stage, Team Sky leader Froome went tumbling after one rider bumped another — like a succession of dominoes — who crossed the Briton’s front wheel. He skinned up his left knee, left elbow and hurt his left wrist, but got back on his bike. Clinging to the race doctor’s car, he got bandaged up and rejoined the peloton. Then a teammate dropped back to get a splint at Sky’s car, and pedalled it up to the ailing Froome.

Race doctor Florence Pommerie told French TV his injuries amounted to “essentially a few scratches.”

Nibali, said his team informed him through his earpiece about Froome’s mishap, and went back to see whether he was OK. Froome responded, “more or less,” according to the Italian. The Sky leader went straight into the team bus and didn’t speak to reporters after the stage.

Dave Brailsford, the Sky team boss, said Froome described feeling good at the end. Froome was undergoing X-rays after the stage, but the team didn’t immediately comment on the results.

Italy's Vincenzo Nibali waves as he arrives on the podium to celebrate his overall leader yellow jersey at the end of the 163.5km fourth stage.

The Kenyan-born British rider had grabbed his left wrist after climbing off the tarmac while his shorts were badly ripped.

He dropped back to the medical car for treatment.

Froome’s left thigh was strapped up and he was given a splint for his left wrist and a bandage for his right hand.

His teammate and compatriot Geraint Thomas said Froome was “a tough lad” and suggested his injuries might look worse than they really were.

“Unfortunately Froomey had that little spill and he was wearing the summer skin-suit so it rips pretty easily,” said Thomas.

“It might look worse than it is, hopefully it does. He seemed to be riding OK.” Victory rival and yellow jersey wearer Vincenzo Nibali said the Briton had told him he was OK.

“We knew almost straightaway about his fall. When he got back to the group I went up to him and asked how he was; he wasn’t in great spirits,” said the Italian.

Nibali admitted that it was an inopportune time to be nursing bumps and bruises with Wednesday’s cobbled fifth stage coming up.

“It’s not great for tomorrow, I don’t know if it will effect his day, you’d have to ask him to understand the seriousness of the fall today.” The crash took down several other riders, including Dutch outsider for overall victory Bauke Mollema of Belkin.

The pack with Spain's Alberto Contador, front left, and Italy's Vincenzo Nibali, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, rear right, passes over cobblestones in Cassel, during the fourth stage.

LOSE ENERGY AGAIN?

In the sixth stage of the Criterium du Dauphine race last month, Froome took a spill during a descent and banged up a hip, shoulder and elbow. The next day, he lost the race’s yellow jersey to Contador — citing stiffness in his thighs and a loss of energy from the crash.

An aching wrist could mean pain ahead for Froome. The cobbles on Wednesday’s 155.5-kilometres (97-miles) from Ypres, Belgium, to Arenberg Port du Hainaut, could make it difficult for him to keep his hands on the handlebars. It includes stretches of bumpy road familiar to riders of the famed Paris-Roubaix one-day classic.

“It’s going to be a crazy stage for everyone tomorrow,” said Philippe Mauduit, a sports director for Contador’s Tinkoff-Saxo Bank team. “We’ll do whatever we can to stay near the front to avoid getting involved in crashes or held up by any pile-ups but that’s what everybody wants and therefore the pace will be extremely high.”

Chris Froome receives running repairs after his crash.

Said Nibali: “Tomorrow, we just have to make it through the day ... Let’s hope it’s not raining.”

Before the fourth stage, 2010 winner Andy Schleck of Luxembourg dropped out because of an injury in a crash a day earlier. On Sunday, British sprinter Mark Cavendish quit the race after crashing in the final sprint in Stage 1 and damaging his right shoulder.

Kittel has already acknowledged that his job is easier without Cavendish in the race. The Giant-Shimano rider is not a threat for the yellow jersey: Kittel is not a good climber and lost nearly 20 minutes to Nibali in an up-and-down Stage 2.

Europcar rider Thomas Voeckler and Luis Mate, a Spaniard with Cofidis, jumped out of the pack early in the stage, setting the pace. First Mate fell back and the Frenchman was overtaken by the pack with about 17 kilometres (10 miles) left.

Results from Stage 4 of Tour de France

STAGE

1. Marcel Kittel (GER/GIA) 3hr36min39sec

2. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/KAT) same time

3. Arnaud Demare (FRA/FDJ) s.t.

4. Peter Sagan (SVK/CAN) s.t.

5. Bryan Coquard (FRA/EUC) s.t.

6. Andre Greipel (GER/LTB) s.t.

7. Mark Renshaw (AUS/OPQ) s.t.

8. Danny van Poppel (NED/TFR) s.t.

9. Davide Cimolai (ITA/LAM) s.t.

10. Daniel Oss (ITA/BMC) s.t.

OVERALL STANDINGS

1. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/AST) 17hr7min52sec

2. Peter Sagan (SVK/CAN) 2

3. Michael Albasini (SUI/OGE) same time

4. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/BMC) s.t.

5. Alberto Contador (ESP/TCS) s.t.

6. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) s.t.

7. Chris Froome (ENG/SKY) s.t.

8. Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL/LTB) s.t.

9. Bauke Mollema (NED/BEL) s.t.

10. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN/AST) s.t.

18. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY) s.t.

53. Michael Rogers (AUS/TCS) 2:34

62. Simon Gerrans (AUS/OGE) 4:22

63. Simon Clarke (AUS/OGE) 4:46 64.

CLASS STANDINGS POINTS

1. Peter Sagan (SVK/CAN) 158.

2. Marcel Kittel (GER/GIA) 135.

3. Bryan Coquard (FRA/EUC) 121.

4. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/KAT) 82.

5. Mark Renshaw (AUS/OPQ) 48.

6. Arnaud Demare (FRA/FDJ) 44.

7. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/BMC) 42.

8. Ramunas Navardauskas (LTU/GRS) 38.

9. Michael Albasini (SUI/OGE) 37.

10. Andre Greipel (GER/LTB) 37.

KING OF THE MOUNTAINS

1. Cyril Lemoine (FRA/COF) 6.

2. Blel Kadri (FRA/ALM) 5.

3. Jens Voigt (GER/TFR) 4.

4. Nicolas Edet (FRA/COF) 4.

5. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/EUC) 3.

6. Pierre Rolland (FRA/EUC) 2.

7. Tom-Jelte Slagter (NED/GRS) 2.

8. Perrig Quemeneur (FRA/EUC) 2.

9. David De la Cruz (ESP/TNE) 2.

10. Chris Froome (ENG/SKY) 1.

TEAM OVERALL

1. Team Sky 51hr23min42sec

2. Astana 12

3. BMC Racing 14

4. NetApp 47

5. Trek same time

6. IAM Cycling 1:01

7. Katyusha 1:20

8. Belkin 1:31

9. Lampre s.t.

10. Cannondale 1:42

11. Tinkoff - Saxo 2:46

12. Garmin 3:26

13. Orica 4:42

14. AG2R 5:44

15. FDJ.fr 6:31

16. Europcar 8:28

17. Cofidis 10:27

18. Lotto 10:29

19. Omega Pharma - Quick-Step 11:02

20. Movistar 12:12

21. Bretagne 13:29

22. Giant 25:55

Originally published as Reigning champ Chris Froome crashes at Tour de France; Marcel Kittel wins fourth stage